


One More Second

by fuzzywuzzyinc



Category: Detroit: Become Human
Genre: I don’t own anything depicted, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Murderer depiction, Song from DBH used
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-02-26 15:25:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18719812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuzzywuzzyinc/pseuds/fuzzywuzzyinc
Summary: Five seconds. Five seconds for Markus’ entire life to fall apart. Is that really all it took?





	One More Second

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! This is my very first work on this site, and I’ve been itching to make it for a very long time! I’m a sucker for DBH, and though this is short, I may begin a multiple chapter story if people want me to. Please enjoy! Sorry for being depressing! 🤪

That day had been so perfect.

Markus has taken Connor for a walk around the park as they discussed things. Both men had gotten a rare break from their jobs; Connor had no pending cases, and Markus had one day without any meetings, so they left North in charge. Things had started off awkward with her after Markus broke up with the violent girl, but things soon settled down and they knew they could trust her. 

The two took the short alone time to talk about everything. To think. To just take a break, and a breath. God, had it been so perfect.  
But that night. That night they had to return. Connor came with Markus to stay the night at the government-issued buildings which housed the deviants. The detective lived with Hank but visited the run down houses often. That night, Markus got a call just as they stepped onto the property that an Android had been murdered by an unstable new addition, just rescued from living on the streets. Markus remembered him—he was a PL600, and would have looked just like Simon if not for his horribly damaged face. He was jittery and dangerous. Simon and Josh had warned the deviant leader about him, but he didn’t listen. And look what happened.

Markus and Connor fled to the scene. Connor did an examination of the body, identifying that its thirium pump had been ripped out and its biocomponents had been brutally smashed. Markus avoided looking at the corpse and spoke in hushed voices with North, discussing the situation. Minutes later, they had tracked the culprit to the roof of the building. Connor and Markus went alone, the two best fitted for the job. Plus, it calmed them both down not to go alone.

On the roof stood a lone, hunched over figure with its back to them. It was shaking and muttering to itself. Over the network, Conner told his companion that he should handle it, having dealt with unstable Androids before. If only Markus had listened. But no. He insisted he had it under control, wanting to protect Connor. The detective began to argue, but Markus had already stepped forward and cleared his throat.

He had to keep himself from screaming when the figure whipped around. It was the same PL600 Markus knew it would be, but it was still horrifying to see someone so closely resembling Simon in such a state. His hands were drenched in thirium, as were his broken face and rags that had once resembled clothes. He had a crazed expression, like a tiger caught in a small cage being poked with knives.

Markus took a deep breath (which was unnecessary, but calming) and pinned the culprit down with his mix-matched eyes. He schooled his face into a calm, blank expression. Markus spoke slowly. He asked the suspect if he had killed the Android. There was a moment of stifling silence. Then the man before him broke down, sobbing and stammering that he didn’t mean to, didn’t want to. Markus found himself sharply longing to go back in time, back when everything was perfect. Plus, it was hard to focus when he was so acutely aware of Connor’s every movement behind him, adjusting himself to keep the detective safe at all times.

He waited until the other Android had calmed down, then asked why he did it. The murderer said nothing, staring into Markus’ eyes with a desperate expression. Sudden rage bubbled in Markus’ stomach, flamed in his chest, roared in his ears. An innocent man had died, and the psychopath who had done it had nothing to even say for it. Markus automatically took a step forward, fists clenched. The network sparked to life with Connor’s voice, shouting “He has a gun!”

In one second, Markus had the weapon pointed straight at his face. In another, Markus was shoved to the side, skidding on the ground. In a third, Connor was standing there. Four seconds, and a bullet ripped through the Connor’s chest. Five seconds, and the murderer had shot himself in the head, crumpling to the ground. Five seconds for Markus’ entire life to fall apart.

The door burst open with North, Simon and Josh, who had heard the gunshot. Markus was kneeling on the ground, hands desperately pressed to Connor’s wound, thirium leaking through his fingers. Two seconds passed by before North and Simon were hauling a struggling Markus off the body and Josh was sprinting with Connor in his arms to the Medic wing. The two androids released Markus, who immediately sprinted after Josh. Two more minutes ticked by. Connor was on a cot, a professional medic hunched over his shaking form. Connor kept rasping incoherently, murmuring how it wasn’t Markus’ fault, that he would be fine. No one responded.

Hold on, just a little while longer.

Markus started at him, dying a little more inside each time the medic pulled up Connor’s sporadically decreasing thirium levels on a screen, along with his shutdown timer. It was a dangerously low time, but no one said a word except for Connor’s desperate ramblings. The silence was thick and heavy. Soon, the medic had extracted a blood soaked bullet from Markus’ best friend.

Hold on, just a little while longer.

If Markus has just stayed calm, or even let Connor step forward in the first place, they wouldn’t be here. Connor wouldn’t have lost his temper. He would have known exactly what to say. Markus felt like every time he sucked in a ragged breath to try and calm down, he was crushed with regret and merciless guilt, and though he didn’t have to breathe, he couldn’t seem to stop.

Hold on, just a little while longer.

Over the past few months, Markus had achieved so much progress for Android Rights. Labor laws were currently being put into effect, and with them a world of possibilities for equality. It had been a truly taxing journey, and that day had been a spot of sunlight for Markus between intermittent clouds. He and Connor had talked about sunshine for hours. Freedom, hope, possibilities, emotions. A true form of sunlight. Markus couldn’t imagine the machine Connor, so cold and direct. This was the true him. Witty, funny, kind, clever.

Everything will be alright.

But now, Markus was caught in an inescapable prison of blindness, sunlight a distant and rapidly fading memory. Connor was dying. Markus was dying. The detective’s hand clenched at his, tighter than before. Markus hadn’t even realized he had been holding it. Connor’s shutdown time flashed an angry red, then shut off.

Everything will be...

In one second, Connor sucked in a sharp breath. In that second, as the medic stood up and bowed her head, as his friends turned away and held onto each other, as the horrifying silence was broken with sobs, Markus realized that this was it. No more mulling over cases or legal issues sitting on Hank’s couch, petting Sumo and laughing. No more laughter or tears or hugs or smiles shared between them. No more stories passed between each other. No more sunlight getting him through the darkest of days. No more Connor.

Markus hadn’t even been able to tell him he loved him.

...alright.

Connor deactivated. Markus’ entire being froze in agony. There was nothing left. He was an empty shell of darkness and loss. If he had just had one more second...

There was nothing left but night.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, again! I hope you enjoyed my story, One More Second. If you want me to make a multiple chapter story, please let me know in the comments! ❤️


End file.
